CHAPTER 1 — The Truth She Hid
Maya stared at the floor for several seconds before speaking.
“It’s cancer,” she whispered.
The words hit Arjun like a punch.
“What?”
She gave a weak smile.
“Stage three lymphoma.”
His mind went blank.
“How long have you known?”
“Almost a year.”
Arjun felt sick.
A year.
That meant she had known while they were still married.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Maya looked away.
“You were already carrying enough pain. The miscarriages. The distance between us. I couldn't bear being another burden.”
Arjun's chest tightened.
For months he had convinced himself their marriage ended because they had fallen out of love.
Now he realized neither of them had stopped loving.
They had simply stopped sharing their pain.
Before he could speak again, a nurse approached.
“Ms. Kovács, your treatment room is ready.”
Maya stood slowly.
May you like
Weakly.
And for the first time in months, Arjun felt terrified of losing her.
